Every time someone decides that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has hit botttom, he responds the same way. He makes them look foolish.
That is not narrative building. That is a career pattern. Last week was simply the latest chapter. Coming off arguably the worst game of his professional career against the Los Angeles Chargers, Hurts delivered a nuclear response against the Las Vegas Raiders. The stat line was absurd. A 154.9 passer rating. Three touchdown passes. Zero interceptions. Complete command from the opening drive. A 31-0 demolition that felt personal. It also felt familiar. Because when Hurts struggles, history says a reckoning is coming.
SCENE SET:
Eagles (9-5, 4-3 Away) vs Commanders (4-10, 2-4 Home)
When: Saturday December 20, 2025
Where: Northwest Stadium – Landover, MD
Kickoff: 5 pm
Betting odds: Eagles -7, Over/Under 44.5
Money Lines: Eagles -395, Commanders +310
TV: Fox
From Disaster to Dominance in Six Days
Against the Chargers, Hurts endured a nightmare afternoon. Five total turnovers. Four interceptions through the air. One lost fumble. Forced throws. Missed reads. A performance that sent the usual crowd into a full blown panic.
The reaction was predictable. Questions about whether he could process elite defenses surfaed again. Whether he could protect the football. Whether he could win from the pocket. Whether the Eagles needed to rethink everything.
Then came the Raiders.
Hurts answered every question without saying a word. He carved Las Vegas with surgical precision, completing throws at every level, extending plays with his legs, and never putting the ball in danger. His 154.9 passer rating was the second highest of his career and one of the most efficient games any quarterback has played this season.
It was not just a bounce back. It was a reminder. This is who he is and that is what he does. Just ask him.
Redemption Has Been Hurts’ ThemeÂ
Hurts has been living on redemption tours since college.
In the 2018 SEC Championship Game, he delivered one of the most iconic moments in modern college football. After being benched for Tua Tagovailoa earlier that season, Hurts came off the bench against Georgia Bulldogs with Alabama trailing 28 to 21. He led two scoring drives and capped it himself with a 15 yard rushing touchdown with just over a minute left to win 35-28.
The message was clear even then. He does not fold. He responds.
At Oklahoma, Hurts authored the largest comeback in school history. Down 28-3 at Baylor in 2019, he passed for 297 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 114 more, leading a 34-31 victory that stunned the college football world.
Different program. Same result.
The NFL Version? Same Old Same Old
As a rookie in 2021, Hurts hit another low point. On November 28 against the New York Giants, he went 14 of 31 for 129 yards with three interceptions in a 13 to 7 loss. The Eagles fell to 5-7. His quarterback rating that day was 17.5.
Many thought his trajectory as a franchise quarterback was murky at best.
Instead, Hurts ripped off three straight wins with quarterback ratings of 110.4, 102.5, and 90.9. with victories over Washington Commanders twice and the Giants once. The Eagles finished 9-8 and reached the playoffs.
Fast forward to October 2023. Another stumble. Three interceptions in a 20-14 loss to the New York Jets. His quarterback rating was 59.5. Philadelphia fell to 5-1 after starting the season 5-1.
What followed was devastating for upcoming opponents. Hurts and the Birds reeled off wins over Miami, Washington, and Dallas. He threw eight touchdowns and only one interception and flashed a shiny triumvirate quarterback ratings of 109.5, 137.5, and 132 respectively.
Ae you noticing a pattern? The script never changes.
From Pain to the Pinnacle
Of course the ultimate redemption came on the biggest stage.
After losing Super Bowl LVII, Hurts carried that loss for two years. He returned to the championship game and delivered a masterpiece in Super Bowl LIX, earning MVP honors while leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl title. It was the culmination of everything his career had been building toward and the validation was well deserved.
Adversity. Accountability. Answering back.
His 80% completion percentage against Vegas was more than 20 points higher than what Hurts posted during the Eagles’ previous three-game losing streak, and he’ll face another struggling defense on Saturday in the Commanders. Washington enters Week 16 with the NFL’s 31st-ranked defense (382.6 yards allowed per game), 26th-ranked scoring unit (26.8 PPG) and 31st-ranked opposing passer rating (107.3). With Saquon Barkley battling a stinger during the week, Hurts could be asked to lead the offense in the potential playoff-clincher. If that is the case, expect to see a bigger role for wideouts A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, who combined for just four targets in Week 15 as Philly cruised to a blowout win.
What It Means Right Now
Now the Eagles sit with a chance to clinch the division today against the Commanders. Once again, the moment finds Hurts with an opportunity to shed the criticism and respond with authority.
If you haven’t noticed he lives for pressure situations and only cares about winning.
Hurts has built his career on turning doubt into fuel. He does not run from bad games. He studies them, absorbs them, and then weaponizes the response. Teammates trust him because they have seen it too many times to doubt it.
When the stakes rise, so does he.
The Raiders game was not just a bounce back performance. It was another entry in a long list that says this clearly.
If you doubt Jalen Hurts, history says you are next.
The Redemption Tour is Right on Schedule
The timing is not accidental.
With a division title on the line today against the Washington Commanders, Hurts again finds himself at a familiar crossroads. Coming off criticism. Coming off doubt. Coming off noise.
There are some that don’t put a lot of stock in his perfomace versus Vegas. In fairness i’m not sure ive ever seen a worse performance by a professional football team. Was it fool’s gold? Hisotry says no. And history says this is when he is most dangerous.
This is the quarterback who answers benches with epic perfomances, interceptions with MVP-level stretches, and career obituaries with Lombardi Trophies. Every stumble in his story has been followed by acceleration, not retreat.
The Chargers game did not define him. It activated him.
The Raiders game was not an anomaly. It was confirmation.
Hurts does not need belief from the outside. He has built an entire career proving that belief is optional. When the lights get brighter and the questions get louder, he simplifies the equation the same way he always has.
Work. Respond. Win.
Redemption is not something Jalen Hurts visits. It’s where he lives.
PREDICTION: Eagles 31, Commanders 17
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